Cybercreeps hiding inside travel confirmations

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Another reason to think before you click a link is surfacing.

Cyber criminals realize that more and more of you are booking all your travel online which means you are receiving your travel confirmations via the internet.

Often these confirmations include "links" to more information that you might need.

But WBTV's cyber expert , Theresa Payton, says it is possible to avoid being tricked.

FOUR TIPS TO AVOID THE SCAM:

1. YOU ARE THE BEST DEFENSE: Never click on links in the email. Even if you are positive it's legitimate. Look at the email closely, does all the information match your travel dates? Whenever possible, skip the link and go to that site directly to pull your reservation information.

2. SITES YOU DON'T USE: If you start receiving confirmations from sites you don't use for booking, it's a red flag you are being scammed.

3. KNOWN EMAIL SCAMS: There are several known "bad sites" or "scams" floating around out there so arm yourself with knowledge so you can put those scam emails in the trash. Keep up with the latest scams at sites like scambusters.org and bbb.org. You can also type in a few lines from the email into a search engine in quotes and include the word scam to see what pops up.

4. PROTECT YOURSELF: Make sure your browser and anti virus are up to date to add an extra layer of protection.